The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Aechmea fasciata, a genus within the family of Bromeliaceae, hereinafter referred to by the cultivar name xe2x80x98Primeraxe2x80x99.
Aechmea comprises a genus of more than 168 species of evergreen perennials suitable for cultivation in the home or in the greenhouse. Aechmea may be terrestrial or epiphytic. For the most part, the species vary in diameter from 12 to 18 inches to 3 or 4 feet and have rosettes of spiny-edged leaves.
Flowers and bracts of Aechmea frequently have brilliant colors and may last for several months. The range of colors for Aechmea is generally from the yellow through orange but may also include pink, orange, red and red-purple. Tubular, three-petalled flowers may also appear but are usually short-lived.
Aechmea may be advantageously grown as pot plants for greenhouse or home use. Typically, the plants are shaded from direct sunlight; and the central, vaselike part of the leaf rosette is normally filled with water.
Aechmea is native to tropical America. Leaves of the Aechmea are usually formed as basal rosettes which are still and entire and in several vertical ranks. Aechmea has terminal spikes or panicles which are often bracted with petals united in a tube longer than the calyx.
Asexual propagation of Aechmea is frequently done through the use of tissue culture practices. Propagation can also be from offshoots which can be detached from the mother plant and grown in an appropriate soil or bark mixture. Methods for cultivating and crossing of Aechmea are well known. For a detailed description, reference is made to the following publications, the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference: Benzing, David H., THE BIOLOGY OF THE BROMELIADS, Mad River Press, Inc., Eureka (1980); Zimmer, Karl, BROMELIEN, Verlag Paul Parey, Berlin (1986); and Rauh, Werner, BROMELIEN, Verlag Eugen Ulmer, Stuttgart (1981).
The new cultivar was selected from the progeny of a cross made by Elly Bak and Nicolaas D. M. Steur in Assendelft, The Netherlands, in 1993. The female or seed parent was Aechmea fasciata Code No. 95265271, and the male or pollen parent was Aechmea fasciata Code No. 95265026.
The new cultivar was discovered by the inventors from the progeny of the above cross stated in 1995 in Assendelft, The Netherlands. The new variety xe2x80x98Primeraxe2x80x99 was recognized for its spineless, dark greyed-green leaves with transverse white bands and patches. Horticultural evaluation by the inventors of subsequent generations of propagation by offshoots carried out under the direction of the inventors in Assendelft, The Netherlands, has clearly demonstrated that the combination of characteristics as disclosed herein for the new cultivar xe2x80x98Primeraxe2x80x99 are firmly fixed and are retained through successive generations of asexual reproduction.
xe2x80x98Primeraxe2x80x99 has not been tested under all available environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary with variations in environmental conditions, such as temperature, light intensity, frequency of fertilization, composition of fertilizer, day length and humidity, with, however, any change in the genotype of the new cultivar.
The following traits have been repeatedly observed to be characteristics which, in combination, distinguish Aechmea fasciata xe2x80x98Primeraxe2x80x99 from the closest comparison cultivar, Aechmea fasciata xe2x80x98Morganaxe2x80x99 (unpatented):
xe2x80x98Primeraxe2x80x99 produces spineless leaves;
Leaves that are dark greyed-green (RHS 189A) with whitish scales and a plant habit which is funnel-formed and rosette in shape.